Kalli, the Esquimaux Christian: a Memoir

Part 1

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KALLI, THE ESQUIMAUX CHRISTIAN.

THE

REV. T. B. MURRAY, M.A.

Published Under the Direction of the Committee of General Literature and Education, Appointed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

LONDON.

Printed for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Sold at the Depositories, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, 4, Royal Exchange, and 16, Hanover Street, Hanover Square, and by All Booksellers

Price Sixpence.

KALLI, THE ESQUIMAUX CHRISTIAN.

A Memoir

THE REV. T. B. MURRAY, M.A.

Author of "Pitcairn, the Island, the People, and the Pastor"

Published Under the Direction of the Committee of General Literature and Education, Appointed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

London

Printed for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Sold at the Depositories Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, 4, Royal Exchange, and 16, Hanover Street, Hanover Square and by All Booksellers

1856

CONTENTS

PAGE Kallihirua the Esquimaux 7 Her Majesty's Ship "Assistance" 8 Cape York 9 Kallihirua on board the "Assistance" 10 The Esquimaux Graves 11 Kallihirua's Family 12 Lines on "Kallihirua in the Ship" 13 Description of the Esquimaux 15 Admiral Beechey's Account 16 The Seal 17 The Narwhal 18 Sir W. Edward Parry's Account 19 Need of Christian Instruction 21 Kallihirua's Tribe 22 Kallihirua in England ib. His fondness for Prints and Drawings 23 Seal Hunter 24 Sights in England 25 Great Exhibition of 1851 26 St. Augustine's College 27 College Studies 28 Reverence for Sacred Places 29 Illness from changes in the Weather 30 Greenland-Esquimaux Vocabulary 31 Visit to Kalli at College 32 His Amusements and Occupations 34 Baptism of Kallihirua 36 Stanzas by the Warden 43 Kalli at St. John's, Newfoundland 45 Death of Archdeacon Bridge 47 Intelligence from Newfoundland 48 Allusion to Prince Le Boo 49 Accounts from St John's 50 Letter from Kalli 51 Kalli's Illness and Death 52 Legacy to a Friend 56 Funeral 57 Intended Memorial 58 Practical Reflections 59 Conclusion 60

ILLUSTRATIONS

Portrait of Kallihirua To face Title Page Map, including his Birthplace To face Page 10 Entrance to a Snow Hut Page 15 Esquimaux Striking a Narwhal 18 Seal Hunter 24 Walrus and Seal 35 St. Martin's Church, Canterbury To face page 39

KALLIHIRUA THE ESQUIMAUX.

Kallihirua, notwithstanding the disadvantages of person (for he was plain, and short of stature, and looked what he was,--an Esquimaux), excited a feeling of interest and regard in those who were acquainted with his history, and who knew his docile mind, and the sweetness of his disposition.

Compliance with the precept in the Old Testament, "Love ye the stranger," becomes a delight as well as a duty in such an instance as that about to be recorded, especially when we consider the affecting injunction conveyed in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Her Majesty's Ship "Assistance"

Erasmus Augustine York, whose native name was Kallihirua, was brought to England on board Her Majesty's ship "Assistance," Captain Erasmus Ommanney, in 1851. Captain Ommanney was second in command of the expedition under the orders of Captain Horatio Austin, C.B., which was dispatched in May, 1850, in search of the missing vessels of Sir John Franklin, the "Erebus" and "Terror". Franklin had quitted England on his perilous and fatal enterprise in May, 1845.

Much interest was attached to the young Esquimaux, who was considered to be about sixteen years of age in August, 1850. He was one of a tribe inhabiting the country in the vicinity of Wolstenholme Sound, at the head of Baffin's Bay, in 76 deg. 3' north latitude, the nearest residents to the North Pole of any human beings known to exist on the globe. He was the only person ever brought to this country from so high a northern latitude. His tribe was met with by the late Sir John Ross, during his voyage in 1818, and was by him called the Arctic Highlanders.

Cape York

It appears that, when the expedition under Captain Austin's command was passing Cape York, in August, 1850, after its release from the ice in Melville Bay, natives were seen from the "Assistance". Captain Ommanney went with the "Intrepid" (one of the vessels comprising the expedition) to communicate with them, when it was ascertained that H.M.S., "North Star," had passed the winter in the neighbourhood. The fate of this vessel was then a matter of anxiety, as by her instructions she had been cautioned to avoid passing the winter in those regions. The tribe thus discovered consisted of only three families, residing in their summer huts at Cape York. As no steamer had ever before found its way to these seas, it was interesting to watch the impression upon the singular beings now visited, when they descended into the engine-room. The large furnaces and machinery astonished them. The latter, on being put in motion, made them take to their heels with fright, and they ran out of the engine-room on deck as fast as they could.

Part 2

Kallihirua on board the "Assistance"

It was after this first interview that the report was raised of the massacre of two ships' crews in 1846. Captain Ommanney, accompanied by Captain Penny, with his interpreter, immediately returned to Cape York, and had a long interview with the natives. They most emphatically denied the whole statement, adding, that no ship had ever been on their coasts except the "North Star," and passing whalers. Then it was, that Kallihirua consented to show Captain Ommanney where the "North Star" had wintered, and to join the ship, for the purpose of being useful as an interpreter, in the event of their meeting with any natives during the search for the missing expedition under Sir John Franklin. Parting (for awhile, as he supposed) with his immediate relatives, and with the only people whom he knew on earth, he threw himself into the hands of strangers in perfect confidence. Having arrived on board the "Assistance," he put off his rough native costume, submitted to the process of a good washing, and, being soon clad in ordinary European clothing, which was cheerfully contributed by the officers, the young Esquimaux with much intelligence performed the duty of pilot to the place where the "North Star" had wintered.

The Esquimaux Graves

On entering Wolstenholme Sound, Kallihirua, or, as he was familiarly called, KALLI, directed Captain Ommanney and the officers to the late winter-station of his tribe, the spot having been abandoned in consequence of some epidemic, probably influenza, which had carried off several persons. On entering the huts, a most distressing sight presented itself. A heap of dead bodies, about seven, in a state of decomposition, lay, one over the other, clad in their skin-clothing, as if suddenly cut off by the hand of death. The survivors, from fear of infection, had left the remains of their relatives unburied. It was an affecting scene in such a remote and desolate region, separated from all communication with the human race. Near the huts was the burial-ground, with several well-formed graves of heaps of stones. On one lay a spear, which one of the officers of the "Assistance" took up, to bring away. Some of the crew were examining the graves to see whether they contained any of our missing countrymen. Seeing this, Kalli ran up to the officer, and, with tears and entreaties, as well as he could make himself understood, begged him and the men to desist from the work of desecration.

Kallihirua's Family

Poor Kalli's lamentations were quite heartrending. His feelings were, of course, respected, the graves were at once built up again, and the spear replaced. Captain Ommanney learnt afterwards from Kalli, that it was his father's grave, over which the spear had been placed by friends of the deceased. They have a tradition that in a future state the means of hunting are still required, and, because in this world the search of food is the chief object of life, the hunting-lance is deposited on the grave.

The young stranger subsequently lived on board the "Assistance". He was placed under the care of the serjeant of Marines, who instructed Kalli in the rudiments of reading and writing, and to whom he became much attached. By his amiable disposition he made himself welcome and agreeable to all the expedition, and, as, in consequence of the state of the ice, no opportunity was offered of landing him on his native shores, on the return of the vessel past York Inlet, he was brought to England. The leaders of the expedition conferred the surname of York upon him, from the locality in which he was found. To this the name of Erasmus was prefixed, after that of the gallant Captain Ommanney.

Lines on "Kallihirua in the Ship"

Kalli was a twin. His father, whose grave has been mentioned, had been dead for some years, but he had a mother living, of whom he often spoke with duty and affection. His father's name was Kirshung-oak. His mother's Sa-toor-ney. He had two sisters living with their mother. A touching circumstance, connected with his first introduction to our countrymen, has been adverted to, which gave rise to the following lines by the writer of this memoir. They were published in the "Gospel Missionary," in the year of the arrival of Kallihirua, and are supposed to be spoken by a British sailor on board the "Assistance"--

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